1. Field of the Invention
This invention is a device which can be used by bowlers to improve their bowling skills and scores. More specifically, this invention is a device which can be used by a bowler attempting to make a strike or pick up a spare, to select a position from which to begin his approach and a position at which he should release the ball, so as to optimize the likelihood that the attempt will be successful.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many books have been written on the subject of bowling. Some of the books contain diagrams illustrating, for example, how to bowl a strike. Other diagrams have been produced to illustrate where to deliver a bowling ball to pick up a spare for various pin combinations. However, diagrams are static and they are useful only for situations which correspond exactly with the situations illustrated in the diagrams.
There are commercial pinsetting machines designed to provide a visual indication of where a bowler should deliver a second ball, relative to the remaining pins, in order to pick up a spare. However, as many beginning bowlers have learned, knowledge about where a ball should be delivered does not ensure that a bowler will succeed in delivering a bowling ball there. In addition, a bowler needs to know where to begin a delivery and where to release the ball, taking into account such factors as the type of ball the bowler throws (i.e. straight ball or hook), whether the bowler bowls left-handed or right-handed, the number of steps the bowler takes during delivery, etc. If a bowler fails to properly account for these factors it is unlikely that the bowler will be successful, in the short run, in making a particular shot. In the long run, it is unlikely that an unsuccessful bowler able to achieve a level of satisfaction which will sustain the bowler's interest in the sport. This phenomenon occurs all too often as beginning bowlers become frustrated and disenchanted by failure to the extent that they do not continue bowling. Thus, there exists a need for a device which can be used by bowlers, especially beginning and intermediate bowlers, to quickly improve their performance thereby sustaining or even piquing their initial interest in the sport of bowling. Such a device should also be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.